Another Day

Yesterday, as I was lucky, blessed, enough to spend the day with 3 of the 4 granddaughters Sophia was not able to attend. My son in law and I took the rest on a field trip to the Creation Museum in Kentucky, are we there yet! Are we almost home yet? It was a good day and now I sit and am waiting to pick up a friend to hit the links this afternoon. A friend that has just found out he can't remember some things and the reason for that. The girls are playing and all is well.
Tomorrow night is the first of ten weeks of steady teaching as the Senior Pastor is gone for 60 days of renewal, and I co-teach so I am the headlining for the next 10 weeks or so, we begin 1 John and I have just about concluded this first weeks offering to the class, hoping for lots of participation, lots of questions prepared. I surely do enjoy being able to have the opportunity to lead the class in the exploration of God's Word. What a blessing!

Pray for me, that I will get out of the way, and let our Lord have his way.

The Moment

Living in the moment, a provocative thought,for me at least, was implanted within my mind after watching a movie about Dan Millman called "the quiet warrior" . The main thrust I encountered was taking out the garbage, from your mind, during some activity. This was particularly interesting to me, in that I have found myself thinking about all sorts of things while I am doing something else, specifically worshipping God during Sunday Morning church. Anyone else? Focus, Focus on the moment, take out all the other stuff, and focus on the one thing we are doing, enjoy the moment. Now translate that to life, I must admit, I, for one, for the most part, live for the moment, that is, I do not give too much thought to "what about next week, month, year, etc. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in tomorrow? not! IT, today, this day. Enjoy today, enjoy the moment, live life large, to the fullest, with passion, each day, each hour, make that moment the best moment of your life. especially when we worship God.

The chain

Island mama questions the value of the past put into written form for the preservation of a life lived, which is a valuable asset. A life lived and all the experiences associated with it have much to offer those who take the time to engage that life and those past experiences. The one thing I have learned over my life is I have no power to change those past experiences and therefore must come to terms with the fact thereof. Some of those experiences I surely am not proud of and if it were ,in fact, possible I would wipe them from the list, however, that is not within my power, and yet I do know one who has that power and am thankful he has wiped and continues to wipe the slate clean. The other wonderful enlightenment I have received is the "loss of my chain." This chain is the one which binds me to my past. A chain which is so powerful it can hold me back from moving into my future. Can I learn from those past experiences, Oh yes! Can I determine never again to do or say or act in a certain way, Oh yes! However, as much as I try, I cannot always succeed. But I have lost that chain and I am moving forward, regrets, hum? It is still a life lived, with all it's ups and downs, with all it's choices and actions, with all the failures and all the successes, it is a life lived and therefore has value, value for all who desire to engage that life, to enter into a relationship with it and embrace it.

"To vacillate or not to vacillate - that is the question...or is it?"

Well, That is a mouth full isn't it? at least in thought, I surely have been accused of not doing that, vacillate, that is. I am for all practical purposes solid in my thinking, some would say stubborn, or opinionated, or even bull headed, but to tell you the truth, I am just convinced and when someone is convinced how can one vacillate from that frame of mind. Convinced is a result of research and investigation. Convinced is a result of hard evidence pointing toward a conclusion which has no other ending. Convinced is a result of contemplating the alternative thinking and discovering the facts or the flaws and comparing those ideas with those which brought you, me to the convinced conclusion that is for me, the truth. So not question about it, not vacillate is the correct answer..

I am at this time, waiting for the arrival of the troops from the East. Patty has kept abreast of the progress. She is riding with Sarah, Isabelle and Sophia in the BMW while Jason is accompanied by Elliot the long in the rent a truck. They have passed Columbus and should be here within the hour, Praise be to the Lord! I miss my beloved life partner, my wife, my lover and my best friend. Oh sure I am going to be so glad to have my family with me, I am so excited about having them here, close and again a part of my life on a daily basis, But it is without question that I am surely happy to have Patty with me once again. I do not vacillate on that either.

Almost ready

Today was one of those list days for me, not a list from the love of my life, but actually a list of my own, what is this world coming to? me, a list? now before everyone gets to excited I only had the list in my head, not on paper, nevertheless, the list consisted of items and check marks, those marks were really difficult to make inside my brain. So the starts with some new plants, yes dear you might like them, then maybe not, next I had to edge the sidewalk, driveway, islands in the back with the weed whacker, and then mow the lawn, not with the weed whacker, but with the lawn mower. Wash the car at the car wash place, I have an appointment with a dealer in Louisville tomorrow and I hate showing up with a dirty car, even if it has 201,000 miles on it. The list also included making sure the house was neat due to a Bible study at my house tonight as well as I had to finish up the lesson on Genesis 49, the blessing of Jacob on his last two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. I Have no clue who will be here, but it will be good anyway. I also needed to get some paper work done for Anchor, the company I represent, for appointment tomorrow, I have been a busy man, and OH YES, I almost forgot, I have emptied many banker boxes and loaded up many garbage bags from the storage room in preparation of getting some cabinets emptied and ready for Sarah and Jason to use. Man, I can't imagine what came over me! Oh, I almost forgot, the deadheading, those gardeners know what I mean. I even had time to make some phone calls to dealers and to Anchor. work, work, work, a man's job is never done.

waiting

Well, I am waiting for the arrival of some of the women in my live, Patty, Sarah, Isabelle and Sophia. Of course Jason is included as well. Patty flew out to Virginia yesterday to help with the final packing and on Saturday all will load up and make the drive here. The house is ready to receive them for how ever long they need to be here, I am ready to have them here for sure. I am truly so glad to have a portion of my family close once again.

Sophia is just a baby 6 weeks old and I came across a picture of her mother not much older about 12 weeks or so, and I thought how time just zooms by. It surely was not that many years ago, 1974 that I took this picture here, yet mercy me, it was and now this little one is bringing two of the most precious granddaughters here to live near me.
Isabelle shown here going to a father daughter dance


Sophia shown here after just arriving

Critical Heart?

Do I have a critical heart? I was watching a television program the other day in which a group of singers were all sitting on the stage, with thousands in the audience. Had they all paid to come see these singers worship themselves? That I do not know, but I would not be surprised if they had paid and paid dearly. All the singers were from many different groups of country gospel singers and solo artists all made up in their fancy stage clothes and sitting in big easy chairs in all their opulence.
As one group would get up and sing a favorite tune of theirs I could not help but think how the others were worshiping the voice ability of each singer, especially when the tenor or soprano would hit one of those really high long draw out yelling notes, not to mention how those singing would spend every bit of effort to project and impress the others with how great they could “belt it out” prancing around on stage like a rock star all the time singing songs that were suppose to be about the Lord God Almighty. Oh what dastardly deeds men do in the name of the Lord. What have we become? Have we turned from worship of God to worship of men and their abilities? Or am I just a critical heart?